There are a lot of fears right now. Few of them feel unjustified, but all of them are unknown…
I will stand firm on my beliefs and proudly beside those who are targeted, but I’m not ready to aimlessly gather to mull around until I know what’s really in the works.
What I will do, every day, is work for Peace. I will focus on neighborliness; on being a good friend. I will step up.
Yesterday, the Mosque 60 miles down the road, received one of “those” letters. It was a hate-filled, ignorant threat. If they organize a rally, I will go. In the meantime, I will stand with my neighbors here — and sit and have coffee, giggle over the silly things in life, pray about the horrors, and educate myself. That’s what I can do. That’s what Peace asks of us. That’s what Love asks of us. I continue to think that we need to learn to be the people who walk each other home.
Peace. Love. Understanding. Let us be those people.
I read a piece about what we can do… perhaps you posted it. I just remember a snippet where a Muslim man said, “Smile at me in the grocery store.” He spoke of feeling as if everyone looks at him as a potential terrorist. I am not one to say “Be perky and smile.” Nope. Not me. BUT, I have been focussing this last year far more on looking a fellow customer in a convenience store, at a restaurant, in a gift shop–looking him or her in the eyes and THEN smiling my hello. Sometimes we kid around. Sometimes it is a small nod in return. Usually there is a relaxing of the face and shoulders and I think that this matters. I KNOW that this matters. It does for me, too! Those small acts of daily life. Thank you, Ann.